Bulletin Board 101

I just got back from school redoing my boards for the new year. Oh how things have changed throughout the years. My first couple of years I had border to match every season and thematic unit. I would spend hours switching the fabric every few weeks. Not only was this exhausting for me but it really was too busy for my students.  My room was filled with color. Some could describe it as skittles exploding in my room. Now I have learned a few things.

Tip #1 Cohesive Backgrounds-The best tip is to keep the boards cohesive throughout the room. I like using fabric so I stick with black and white. I sometimes pick a different pattern but the colors are all the same. Wrapping paper is also very helpful along with twin bed sheets.

Tip #2- Cohesive Borders- Another thing I love is keeping the borders cohesive as well. I no longer need storage for my borders because I only pick a few patterns.  To make my boards fun, I layer the borders. I think it frames the boards much better than a single border.

Tip #3-Student Space-The last tip is to keep your boards simple. I provide each student with a space on my board and make sure it’s easy and quick to change out their work. I have used paperclips, clothespins and tacks. The paper clips allow me to easily slip their work under the clip. The tacks allow for multiple sheets over the course of the semester and a clothesline with clothespins allows for easy access.

Paperclips are an easy option for switching out student work

Clothespins are also very easy!

Tacks allow for multiple sheets over the course of the semester